







In English we use the present simple tense to talk about facts or things that are always true, as well as things in general. Present simple is also used to talk about a repeated action such as a habit, a hobby, a daily event, a scheduled event or something that often happens.
In English we use 'do' and 'does' as auxiliary verbs in negatives and questions and we often use the present simple with adverbs of frequency such as sometimes, always, often, never, usually, rarely, and hardly ever.
Notes for use of present simple :
In the third person, ‘s’ is added to the verb form. For example;
work --> works
run --> runs
live --> lives
For verbs that end in 'o', 'sh', 'ch', 's' and 'x', we add 'es' to the verb form. For example;
go --> goes
wish --> wishes
watch --> watches
kiss --> kisses
fax --> faxes
For verbs that end in a consonant + 'y', we change the 'y' to 'i' and add 'es'. For example;
try --> tries
study --> studies
The table below shows the different forms of present simple :
Example Verb : Work | I / You / We / They | He / She / It |
| Positive | ... work. | ... works. |
| Negative | ... don't work. | ... doesn't work. |
Questions | Do ... work? | Does ... work? |
| Short answers | Yes, ... do. / No, ... don't. | Yes, ... does. / No, ... doesn't. |
For the verb 'to be' we use 'am', 'is', 'are' in the present simple. No auxiliary verbs are used in negative sentences and questions.
Verb: Be | I | You / We / They | He / She / It |
| Positive | I'm ... | ... 're ... | ... 's ... |
| Negative | I'm not ... | ... aren't ... | ... isn't ... |
| Questions | Am I ... ? | Are ... ...? | Is ... ...? |
| Short answers | Yes, I am. / No, I'm not. | Yes, ... are. / No, ... aren't. | Yes, ... is. / No, ... isn't. |
Present Simple Example Sentences :
Positive Examples of Present Simple :
Negative Examples of Present Simple :
Question Examples of Present Simple :
| Present simple example sentences | |
|---|---|
| Hey Mike, you look so worried! | |
| Australia is very strict with its customs rules. | |
| No, we drain pasta with a grater. | |
| Everything is the same as it's advertised. | |
| Hello, my name is Mike, I'm Cate's boyfriend... | |
| I feel a bit tired and very hungry. | |
| It sounds important. | |
| I will ask him to take Bear out, so we can have breakfast. | |
| Of course, here you go, this is the bathroom. | |
| Is it possible to move in tomorrow? | |
| I'm an English teacher. | |
| Also, I think we all need to leave soon. | |
| He is the bartender. | |
| Hello there, are you Cate? | |
| You need to press the button down and turn it right. | |
| Sure! Why is it so important to you? | |
| Unfortunately, she is a teenager, she is 19! | |
| Erm, she's the marketing manager at the company. | |
| I hope it's not the right address! It looks awful. | |
| Umm, oh yes, I can see it now, the ad number is 9845... | |